Telephone-directory.



No. 807,942. PATENTED DEG. 19,1905.

B. N. LAKE.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.22. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 807,942. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

E. N. LAKE.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22., 1904.

2 SHEETSSEBET 2.

b mmw -unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed August 22, 1904. Serial No. 221,687.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EDWARD N. LAKE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefullmprovementin Telephone-Directories, of which the following is an exact and concise description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in telephone-directories, and is of a type convenient to be immediately associated with the telephone instrument, so that it may be referred to with readiness. Because of the considerable development of telephone-exchange service in communities telephone-directories are becoming more and more voluminous, and the inconvenience of referring to such directories for the hunting out of the names of subscribers is increasing. It is found that telephone users make most of their calls for individuals of a much smaller group of subscribers than that which is covered by the complete directory, and a list of this particular groupof persons most frequently called is very often compiled by or for the subscriber for his convenience and saving of time. My invention enables such a list of subscribers, whether small or large, to be compiled and collected in a convenient manner and permits changes and additions to be made in that list from time to time. Iattain these objects by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device attached to a portable telephone of the usual desk-stand type and also shows in general one of the operations of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a section through the line A A'in Fig. 3.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The general form of the device is that of a book, having two covers hinged with reference to each other. The plate 1 forms one of these covers and the plate 2 the other. The plate 1, formed of metal or other reasonably rigid material, has attached to it or formed from it a supporting-bracket 3. In Fig. 2

this bracket is shown to be a separate piece, not formed from the same sheet as the plate 1, but from another and attached to the plate 1 by means of the rivets 10. In the particular form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the bracket 3 is adapted, by the existence of the slots 12, to be engaged and held by the same bolt 13, washers 15, and nut 14 which hold the transmitter 16 in the head 17 of the telephone-stand. The back plate 1 further is formed at its lower edge so as to grasp the shaft 4. The front plate 2 is also formed to grasp the shaft 4, the extensions of both plates 1 and 2 being so related to each other and the shaft as to form a hinge with 'each other and with it. A sufficient portion of the shaft 4 is left unsurrounded by either plate 1 or 2 to enable the helical spring 7 to be coiled around the shaft 4. One end of the spring 7 engages the plate 1 by terminating in a hook outside of the plate and the other end similarly engages the plate 2. The spring 7 may be related to the plates 1 and 2 in other simple ways. The tension of the spring 7 is such as to draw the plates 1 and 2 together, so that these plates as covers of the device tend to remain normally closed. The shaft 4 is provided with means to prevent it from sliding out from between the encircling parts of the front and back covers 1 and 2. These means are shown in the drawings as the screws 5 and the washers 6. An equivalent construction would be the upsetting of the ends of the shaft 4, thus riveting it in its place without binding upon the plates. The shaft4 may also beheld in place by any equivalent forming of or addition to its ends. The front plate 2 carries two plungers 8 8. These are formed each in the arc of a circle having a center in the axis of the shaft 4. The plungers 8 8 are attached to the plate 2 by riveting, by nuts, such as 9 9, by soldering, or other convenient means.

Into the device constructed as described are placed, when it is in use, the cards 11, to some or all of which I provide index-tabs 12 12, hearing the letters of the alphabet or other suitable guide-marks of subdivision of the total class of things recorded upon the cards. Each of these cards is perforated with two holes of such size and in such position that the plungers 8'8 will pass through the holes, but will not bind in them. If then the front cover 2 be drawn forward, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the front card will be displayed. If any other card is desired for reference, its index-tab can be caught by a finger of the hand which is holding forward the plate 2. If, for example, the cards are all provided with index-tabs, one card being allotted to each letter of the alphabet, a name beginning with M will be found on the card with that index-letter on its tab, and this card will be disclosed immediately upon catching the card bearing the'letter L and throwing it and all before it forward. If the number of entries on the cards is so great as to require more than one card of each subdivision into minor classes, the general class can be reached at one motion, and the subdivision of that class quickly reached in one or two more motions of cards without index-tabs. In this the reading of the cards is quite identical with the ordinary and well-known method of consulting a card-index or card-catalogue. When the information has been taken from the cards, releasing the front plate 2 will allow the spring 7 to close the device, keeping the cards clean.

In case it is desired to insert an additional card in the directory or to remove any the plate 2 is to be drawn away from the plate 1 a greater distance than is usual when the cards are being consulted merely. Then the angular opening between the plates 1 and 2 is sufficient, the plunger-s 8 8 will be drawn out of engagement with the mass of cards 11, permitting any or all of them to be removed from the holder, although they would otherwise remain in place and become reengaged by the plungers 8 8 upon the release of the front plate 2.

In the diversity of forms of transmitters, portable transmitter-stands, and transmitterholders adapted for use on telephones of other than the portable type variations are required in the form of the bracket or extension 3, which attaches my device'to the telephone. I do not desire, therefore, to restrict myself to the exact form. of fastening which I have shown in the drawings. Neither do I desire to restrict myself to an attachment of my device to the telephone, because by suitable arrangernent of simple means my device is of advantage as a convenient card-index directory however it may be supported.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combination in a telephone-directory, a supporting-bracket, a base-plate supported by said bracket, means for attaching said bracket to a telephone or other support, a cover hinged with relation to said baseplate, perforated index-cards between said base-plate and cover, and pins carried by said cover adapted to engage the said index-cards by passing through the perforations and said base-plate, substantially as described.

2. In an attachment for telephones, a supporting-bracket adapted to be clamped to the telephone structure, a base-plate supported by said bracket, a cover hinged to said baseplate, and index-cards arranged radially between said base-plate and cover, substantially as described.

3. In an attachment for telephones, a supporting-bracket 3 adapted to be clamped to the telephone structure, abase-plate 1, a coverplate 2 hinged to said base-plate and carrying one or more pins 8, a spring 7 adapted to draw said base-plate and said cover together, and index-cards 11 arranged radially between said base-plate and cover, substantially as described.

1. In atelephone-directory, a base-plate 1, and a cover-plate 2 hinged to each other, a plurality of curved pins 8 carried bysaid cover, perforated index-cards 11, said curved plungers being of such length as normally to engage said perforated cards and still to project through perforations in the base-plate 1, when'said cover and base plate are swung apart sufficiently to disclose said index-cards, and a bracket 3 supporting said base-plate, and adapted by the slots 17 to be engaged by the bolt of the head of a telephone-stand, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDW. N. LAKE.

W'itnesses:

CHARLES WHEAT, KEMPSTER B. MILLER. 

